nbn special: See the FTTN and HFC cabinets coming to your street

Good way to see the physical kit

Definitely worth doing again. Clarified for me what some of the different bits are, and why different connection types will be used depending on location.

Lost the plot

Simon, you have really lost the plot on this topic? Why?

Example: "You'll also learn why some homes will get fibre-to-the-premises at massive expense while others miss out."

Why did you write that? You know that there is no "massive expense" involved in a true fibre connection; you know that the "massive expense" is an entirely artifical pretend "expense" cooked up to make the Fraudband network look cost-effective and sensible, you know that the actual expense of a true fibre network is little or no more than that of the Fraudband network in the short term, and less in the medium term because the real fibre connection is cheaper to maintain and won't have to be torn up and replaced the way the Fraudband links will, and you know that El Reg readers are way too smart and way too tech-savvy to fall for this ridiculous spiel .... so why write it?

I used to admire and enjoy your work. Now I'm forced, however reluctantly, to doubt the veracity of all your other work as well - stuff I used to just take as gospel truith because I thought you told it straight and knew your stuff.

I was wrong. Sorry.

What do I think?

Error 2035, thats what I think.

Secrecy is the problem

Everything about the NBN is secret. What does "Copper in better shape" actually mean? What are the estimated costs to run Fibre to a simple home? There should be a spreadsheet somewhere with enough details that we can review it and understand, and monitor the result.

So all we get is vague statements that amount to "Trust the NBN, we know what we are doing, and we will send the government the bill so you do not have to pay for it."

That said, it is pretty easy to get a rough estimate of how much it would cost to dig up someone's yard and lay a new (fibre) cable and get it into an ordinary suburban house and attach a new modem to it. I'd say $1,000 to $5,000 per house. (Two men for half a day if there are no complications.) Times maybe 5 million houses. Say. It would be good to see some of that type of back-of-the-envelope analysis somewhere.

Nice sandwiches

This sounded like a feel good story to placate the general public.

Ah, is that an election coming.

We've got months of pre-election bullshit coming our way.

Simon it is your job to be the bullshit filter, ask the hard, probing questions

and give us the real story, that is what a real journalist does.

Or are you just a hack, with your nose in the trough.

Nice sandwiches for lunch ?

Informative and particularly relevant

Thanks for the article.

I live in Redland Bay and this is the most information I've seen about local NBN developments.

At the moment I have slow ADSL due to the rubbish internet here. The copper cables are very old and in terrible condition - a Telstra technician had to repair a phone cable outside my house a couple of months ago, and the wires were so corroded they kept breaking in his hands. The local Telstra exchange is, as you mentioned, already full, and it has been for many years. I could get overpriced ADSL2 from Telstra, but there is no alternative as Telstra has consistently refused to upgrade the exchange to allow it's competitors in. (Surprise, surprise.) Fifteen minutes drive away, in Cleveland, fast ADSL2 is available for about half the price I pay for ADSL.

I still have no idea what sort of plans and prices will be available once the NBN arrives (probably using FTTN in my area - hopefully they will upgrade the copper in the process.)